The Seattle Seahawks earned a thrilling 38-37 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in overtime on ‘Thursday Night Football’ to kick off Week 16 NFL action.

The win puts Seattle a game ahead of the Rams in the NFC West standings and into the top spot in the NFC playoff bracket ahead of Saturday and Sunday action.

They’ll continue that quest for a first division title since 2020 next week on the road against the Carolina Panthers. But they’ll be without one of their linebackers for that matchup.

The NFL is suspending Derick Hall for one game without pay for ‘an act of unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct’ during the first quarter of the Seahawks-Rams game Dec. 18.

The league stated that Hall unnecessarily stepped on the leg of Rams offensive lineman Kevin Dotson at the end of a play in the first quarter. Dotson was on the ground when that happened.

According to league officials, this violated ‘Rule 12, Section 2, Article 8, which prohibits unnecessary roughness, and Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which applies to unsportsmanlike conduct, including ‘any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.’”

Hall will be eligible to return to Seattle’s active roster on Dec. 29, a day after the Seahawks’ game against Carolina.

He is allowed to appeal the suspension.

Seattle drafted Hall in the second round, No. 37 overall out of Auburn in the 2023 NFL Draft. He had a career-best 8.0 sacks and 20 quarterback hits last season. He’s notched one sack, 10 quarterback hits and two passes defensed so far this year.

NC State football ended its 2025 college football season on a positive note and a statement from its sophomore quarterback.

CJ Bailey accounted for three total touchdowns in a 31-7 win for the Wolfpack over Memphis in the Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on Friday, Dec. 19.

Bailey finished 14-of-25 passing for 221 yards and two touchdowns, adding a 14-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter. Jayden Scott led the Wolfpack rushing attack with 19 rushes for 108 yards, as NC State (8-5) jumped out ahead 24-0 and led 31-7 at halftime.

Watch Memphis vs NC State in Gasparilla Bowl live with Fubo (free trial)

The Memphis offense was able to move the ball, finishing with 303 total yards, just 34 fewer than NC State. However, penalties (seven for 74 yards) and turnovers (one fumble and one interception) prevented the offense from putting points on the board.

Even though the Wolfpack did not score in the second half, the damage was already done to the Tigers (8-5), playing without their head coach, Ryan Silverfield, who is departing for an SEC job with Arkansas. The Wolfpack ended their season with three straight wins, marking their eighth eight-win season in 13 years under head coach Dave Doeren. It’s the first bowl win for NC State since 2017.

Brenden Lewis was limited to 14-of-25 passing for 106 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He was limited to 11 rushes for 51 yards on the ground.

USA TODAY Sports brought you live updates from the Gasparilla Bowl between Memphis and North Carolina State. Catch up here:

Memphis vs NC State final score

Memphis vs NC State highlights

Memphis-NC State score: Wolfpack 31, Tigers 7

Memphis-NC State final stats

NC State defeats Memphis in Gasparilla Bowl

NC State ends its 2025 college football season with a 31-7 statement win over Memphis in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa Bay, Florida. Neither team scored in the second half, as the Wolfpack took care of business in the first.

NC State attempts fake field goal

Instead of kicking a 49-yard field goal, NC State opts to attempt a fake field goal. However, kicker Kanoah Vinesett drops the ball as he attempts to throw it, resulting in an incompletion and a turnover on downs.

Interesting decision, as Vinesett had made a 51-yard field goal earlier in the game.

End of third quarter: NC State 31, Memphis 7

No scoring in the third quarter, but that’s good news for NC State as it holds a 24-point lead heading into the final quarter. The Wolfpack have the ball to open the final quarter.

Memphis tries a trick play, loses fumble

Frank Peasant attempts to run the ball on a trick play, but he loses the ball and NC State’s Joseph Adedire recovers. The Wolfpack take over on the Memphis 43-yard line with a chance to expand its lead.

Halftime: NC State 31, Memphis 7

Memphis-NC State halftime stats

NC State takes a 31-7 lead into halftime, dominating the first half. The Wolfpack scored 14 points in the opening quarter and added 17 more in the second.

CJ Bailey fires deep touchdown pass to Teddy Hoffmann

NC State pushes its lead to 31-7 with 1:28 left in the second quarter when CJ Bailey fires a perfect deep ball to a wide-open Teddy Hoffmann for a 40-yard touchdown.

The scoring drive is three plays for 75 yards and took 27 game seconds.

Memphis strikes back with touchdown

Memphis is finally on the board, as receiver Jamari Hawkins catches a pass from quarterback Brendon Lewis. Hawkins breaks a couple of tackles and takes it in for the 28-yard touchdown. It’s 24-7 NC State with 4:59 left in the first half.

The scoring drive is eight plays for 75 yards and takes 3:04 off the game clock.

The Tigers get the ball to open the second half, so they can make things interesting with a stop and score before the half.

Kanoah Vinesett hits 51-yard field goal

Kanoah Vinesett connects on a 51-yard field goal to extend the NC State lead to 24-0 with 8:03 left in the first half. That’s Vinesett’s first attempt over 40 yards this season. His previous long this year was 38 yards.

His career high is 52 yards.

Gianni Spetic misses 56-yard field goal

Needing a score, Memphis opts to send kicker Gianni Spetic out for a career-high 56-yard field goal. The kick is short left and the Tigers remain scoreless with 10:33 left in the first half.

NC State will begin its drive from its own 38-yard line.

Will Wilson sneaks in for touchdown for NC State

NC State extends its lead to 21-0 with QB Will Wilson sneaking it in for his 10th touchdown of the season.

The scoring drive is two plays for three yards following the interception by Caden Fordham.

End of first quarter: NC State 14, Memphis 0

All NC State in that first quarter, as the Wolfpack holds a 14-0 lead and is threatening to make it 21-0 when the second quarter commences.

Caden Fordham intercepts pass from Brendon Lewis

Caden Fordham picks off a deflected ball and returns it to the Memphis 2-yard line to set up another scoring opportunity for the Wolfpack.

CJ Bailey hits Wesley Grimes for a touchdown

CJ Bailey hits Wesley Grimes for a long 31-yard touchdown to extend the NC State lead to 14-0 with 3:21 left in the first quarter. Grimes is hurt after the play, as he took a hard hit crossing the end zone. However, he jogs off the field under his own power.

NC State forces a three-and-out

On a fourth-and-3 from deep inside the NC State territory, Memphis forces a turnover on downs. The 11-play drive comes up empty for the Tigers after they intercepted CJ Bailey set up the drive.

CJ Bailey strikes first for NC State

CJ Bailey cruises in for a 14-yard touchdown to give NC State a 7-0 lead with 11:32 left in the first quarter, on its first drive.

The scoring drive is seven plays for 75 yards and takes 3:28 off the game clock. The Wolfpack had two explosive plays of over 20 yards on the drive to set up the score.

On the opening drive, Bailey is 2-for-2 passing for 45 yards and adds 21 yards on two rushes.

NC State without Hollywood Smothers

NC State football will open Gasparilla Bowl on offense

NC State wins the coin toss and elects to receive. Memphis will defend the north goal.

Pregame

CJ Bailey Stats

CJ Bailey earns the start for the Wolfpack in the Gasparilla Bowl against Memphis. The sophomore from Miami has been a star for the NC State offense, with 40 total passing touchdowns in his first two seasons as the starter.

Here’s a look at Lewis’ stats with NC State:

• 2024: 196-of-302 passing (64.9%) for 2,413 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions; 99 rushes for 279 yards and five touchdowns
• 2025: 259-of-372 passing (69.6%) for 2,884 yards, 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions; 82 rushes for 215 yards and five touchdowns

Brandon Lewis stats

Redshirt senior Brandon Lewis will be under center again for Memphis when it takes on NC State in the Gasparilla Bowl. Lewis is a sixth-year college football player. The dual-threat QB transferred in from Nevada to Memphis this past offseason.

Here’s a look at his stats:

• 2020 (Colorado): 6-of-10 passing (60%) for 95 yards; 9 rushes for 73 yards and a touchdown
• 2021 (Colorado): 149-of-257 passing (58%) for 1,540 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions; 98 rushes for 188 yards and two touchdowns
• 2022 (Colorado): 15-of-24 passing (62.5%) for 92 yards; 12 rushes for 43 yards
• 2023 (Nevada): 131-of-236 passing (55.5%) for 1,113 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions; 120 rushes for 495 yards and four touchdowns
• 2024 (Nevada): 211-of-312 passing (67.6%) for 2,290 yards, 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions; 157 rushes for 775 yards and eight touchdowns
• 2025 (Memphis): 239-of-343 passing (69.7%) for 2,567 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions; 141 rushes for 618 yards and nine touchdowns

Memphis vs NC State history

The Gasparilla Bowl matchup between the Tigers and the Wolfpack will be the first-ever between the programs on the football field. NC State is 3-2 against Memphis in men’s basketball, with the last matchup coming in 2019.

Endzones painted for Gasparilla Bowl

With just an hour until game time, here’s a look at the end zones for the Gasparilla Bowl for the game between Memphis and NC State:

What channel is Memphis vs NC State on today?

• TV Channel: ESPN
• Livestream:Fubo (free trial)

Memphis vs NC State will be broadcast nationally on ESPN for the Gasparilla Bowl. Anish Shroff and Andre Ware will call the game from the booth at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, with Paul Carcaterra reporting from the sidelines. Streaming options for the game include Watch ESPN and Fubo, which offer a free trial to new subscribers.

Memphis vs NC State time today

• Date: Friday, Dec. 19
• Start time: 2:30 p.m. ET

The Memphis vs NC State game starts at 2:30 p.m. ET from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Stream Memphis vs NC State with Fubo (free trial)

Memphis vs NC State predictions, picks, odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Thursday, Dec. 18

• Spread: NC State (-3.5)
• Over/under: 56.5
• Moneyline: NC State -175 | Memphis +145

• Prediction: NC State 35, Memphis 24

NC State’s offense is too much for Memphis, which is down some support with Silverfield off to Arkansas. Bailey and Smothers lead the way for the Wolfpack.

KANSAS CITY, MO ― Texas A&M believed it could make it to the NCAA volleyball Final Four and the national championship match, even if the rest of the sports world didn’t.

‘We have had faith in ourselves all year. From the first game of the season, we knew we were capable of this,’ outside hitter Kyndal Stowers said after the Aggies swept No. 1 Pitt on Thursday night. ‘Now living it, it’s like, ‘Wow. This is insane.”

The Aggies, who will play Kentucky for the national championship Sunday (3:30 p.m., ABC), call themselves as the ‘grittiest team in volleyball.’ The word ‘grit’ is on hats they created and metaphorically woven into every victory during the NCAA tournament.

Texas A&M’s last loss was to the Texas Longhorns during the SEC tournament on November 24, one of four this season. Aggies coach Jamie Morrison said the team had mixed emotions about playing a conference tournament before the NCAA tournament the following week.

The SEC tournament is three matches in three days, a grind to get through. Morrison maintains his team needed it. He likened the conference tournament to playoff experience, which he believes gave the Aggies, who had never been to the Final Four, an advantage during their NCAA tournament run. Morrison’s team beat four ranked opponents, including No. 1 overall seed Nebraska, which hadn’t lost all season, and No. 1 seed Pitt, which hadn’t been swept the entire season until Thursday.

‘I’m really thankful that every opponent that we’ve had has pushed us in some way,’ Morrison said. ‘Because the more you’re in those uncomfortable situations ― and we’ve talked a lot about discomfort during this and how we’ve earned the right to be in it more, but ― the more we’re in it, the more we get comfortable, the more we’re used to being ourselves in those moments. If you have a slip-up, you can learn from it.’

Senior opposite hitter Logan Lednicky says the Aggies ‘just know how to dig in [at] the right times.’ She believes reaching this level has been a long time coming for Texas A&M, and they have the right group of players to win it all.

The belief from Texas A&M started with Lednicky and senior libero Ava Underwood’s boyfriends. Underwood recently credited the duo’s significant others for introducing the NCAA tournament motto: ‘Why not us?’

‘I know it’s probably like beating a dead horse, but y’all keep hearing, ‘Why not us?’ Literally, why not us?’ Lednicky said during the Aggies’ post-match availability on Thursday. ‘We are considered the underdog in a lot of these moments just because we haven’t been here before. But we know we have all the right pieces. So why not us?’

Not a single player on Texas A&M or Kentucky’s roster has experience playing in the Final Four, let alone in a national championship. (The only person who has title experience is the Wildcats head coach Craig Skinner, who won a championship with Kentucky in 2020.) On Sunday, both teams have a chance in the already historic all-SEC title match to make history again.

The Aggies plan to win by doing it their way, which may or may not be conventional. The players are having fun, and that includes Stowers letting out the softest ‘boom’ and flashing a smile to her teammates after a significant kill or middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla unleashing her signature walk away after sealing Texas A&M’s spot in the national title match. The Aggies have also made almost daily TikTok videos, a full coordinated team effort, according to Stowers, and meant to show the world they are ‘just a bunch of goofy people who love being around each other and having a good time.”We started this season talking about who you are as a human being, then in the middle of the season, we talked about who you are as a competitor,’ Morrison said. ‘When you get in these big moments, you get sways of four points, then it’s a game of momentum because you start losing track of who you are.

‘On a stage with literally the brightest lights I’ve ever seen up here, they’re able to be themselves; they’re able to be happy, joyful … That’s the thing I’m most proud of.’

The Los Angeles Rams lost in heartbreaking fashion in overtime against the Seattle Seahawks on ‘Thursday Night Football’ to kick off Week 16 of NFL action.

Los Angeles’ offense managed to put up 581 total yards against one of the best defenses in the league in the 38-37 loss. That came despite missing receiver Davante Adams due to a knee injury.

The three-time All-Pro leads the league in touchdown catches and missed his first game of the season for the Rams.

Los Angeles coach Sean McVay seems to think that’ll be the case for at least another week.

McVay said he does not anticipate Adams will be back next week for the Rams’ game against the Atlanta Falcons on ‘Monday Night Football,’ per multiple reports.

With Adams out, the Rams leaned on leading receiver Puka Nacua, who ended the night with 12 catches for 225 yards and two touchdowns on 16 targets. Rookie Konata Mumpfield was second in the passing game with eight targets, which he converted to three catches for 40 yards.

The Rams’ offense had seven players with at least two catches in the loss.

Davante Adams stats

Adams is having a standout season in Los Angeles, his first with the Rams. Here’s a look at his statistics through Week 16:

• Targets: 114
• Receptions: 60
• Receiving yards: 789
• Receiving touchdowns: 14
• Yards per reception: 13.2
• First downs: 51

Adams leads the league in touchdowns and is second on the Rams in targets, receptions, yards and first downs behind Nacua.

Rams remaining schedule

Nneka Ogwumike, Women’s National Basketball Players Association president and Seattle Storm All-Star, told ESPN on Friday that the players want a 2026 WNBA season despite the strike authorization vote issued by the union on Thursday.

Players voted to authorize the WNBPA’s Executive Committee to ‘call a strike when necessary.’ The vote comes less than a month before the current CBA is set to expire on Jan. 9, 2026, following two previous extensions from the original Oct. 31 deadline.

Ogwumike said the vote is a ‘symbol of our unity and the confidence that we have in each other to be able to give ourselves some level of authority in these negotiations.’

‘We’re looking for a good deal to get done, but we’re also prepared for whatever it takes for that to happen, while also understanding that we want a 2026 season,’ Ogwumike said. ‘We want to make sure that that season is the way that it can be best for us to put the product on the court and for that product to be valued.’

The league’s latest offer includes a maximum $1 million base salary, with a projected revenue sharing component that raises players’ max total earnings to more than $1.3 million in 2026, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they’re not authorized to speak publicly about ongoing negotiations. The league’s maximum salary would grow to nearly $2 million over the life of the agreement.

The proposal also raises the league’s minimum salary to over $250,000 and the average salary to more than $530,000, up from the current $67,000 and $120,000 salary, respectively.

The players have prioritized two main points amid negotiations — increased revenue sharing and salary structures. According to The Athletic, the league has offered revenue sharing at 15% while the union has proposed 30%. The sides also differ on how that percentage, as well as the salary cap, would be calculated.’This means we could possibly strike if we need to, but it doesn’t mean that we want that to happen,’ Ogwumike said. ‘But we have it in our arsenal in order for us to get exactly what we need, which is a fair deal that represents our value in a very meaningful way.

‘I want to play, and I know that I’m going to get a good deal done on behalf of these players, along with the amazing leadership of this executive committee. So I’m looking forward to seeing how conversations can be more collaborative.’

AI-assisted summary
• Duke quarterback Darian Mensah is returning to college instead of entering the NFL Draft.
• Mensah will earn more money by staying at Duke than he likely would have as an NFL rookie.
• The decision highlights how private NIL deals are making college football competitive with the NFL for talent.

Darian Mensah finally pulled off what eventually had to happen, further underscoring a booming college football economy that isn’t slowing down. 

An elite quarterback chose college football over the NFL. And will make more money because of it. 

Mensah, who led Duke to its first outright ACC championship since 1962 in his first season after transferring from Tulane, will make — at the very least — the back half of a two-year, $8 million deal he signed prior to this season. 

If Mensah were to leave for the NFL, he’d make half that or less for one season — depending on where he was selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Stay or go is no longer a professional decision. It’s now, in most cases, a monetary move.

Just when you think paradigm change over the past four years of college football couldn’t be more dramatic, we now have quarterbacks staying in college for more money than they’d earn in the NFL. 

College football isn’t the NFL’s minor league. It’s now the NFL’s competition.

The last quarterback selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft was Jaxson Dart, who was the 25th overall pick and signed a four-year deal with the Giants averaging $4.2 million annually.

The first quarterback selected outside the first round was Tyler Shough, who was the 40th overall pick by the Saints and signed a four-year deal averaging $2.7 annually. The next selected was Jalen Milroe, 92nd overall by the Seahawks with a deal averaging $1.56 million annually. 

Mensah, who more than likely would’ve been selected somewhere outside the first 50 picks, will earn $4 million by returning to Duke.

But that’s not the point of this exercise. The reality that Mensah will earn more in college football than the NFL, that he is choosing to delay playing at the highest level of football with a multi-year contract to stay in college, should tell you all you need to know about the flourishing private NIL economy.

The one area of unthinkable college football change the NCAA has no control over. And by no, I mean none.

Not with some special clearinghouse, or contrived czar, or play-nice agreement schools are refusing to sign. Private NIL is the heart of the college football economy, the only way to separate the haves from the have-nots.

You don’t really think the haves are going to sit there and take it, do you? They’re not going to nod their heads and spend 75% of their NCAA-mandated $20-23 million annual salary pool on football, and go along their merry way.

Because the elite of the elite players want more, and are they’re getting it through private NIL. It’s basic economics: supply and demand.

Ohio State overpaid for Quinshon Judkins and Will Howard and Caleb Downs, and won a national title because of it. Indiana outbid Georgia and Miami for Fernando Mendoza, and just polished off the first unbeaten regular season in school history. 

Duke, meanwhile, won its first outright ACC title in more than six decades after overpaying Mensah. That’s return on investment, everyone.

A similar or marginally better revenue sharing deal isn’t convincing elite players to change schools. Private NIL deals are.

Players don’t have to stay at programs if they feel (take your pick) they’re not being developed properly, don’t have a chance to play for a championship, or just don’t like their situation.

Now they aren’t forced to leave college for the NFL, where the ability to earn was always the greatest draw — no matter what you read from players about taking their talents to (insert team here). Thanks, LeBron.

With that being said, of course.

Imagine the sheer power of telling the NFL no, and then picking up a larger paycheck because of it. And, bonus: Mensah, who has only played two seasons of college football — with at TD/INT ratio of 52/11 — can play another season and strengthen his draft stock.

Go bet on yourself, kid. Have another big season, make twice what you’d earn in the NFL, and then improve your draft stock for 2027. The next thing you know, you’ve moved into a first round projection and your rookie deal goes from seven figures to eight. 

Quinn Ewers should’ve done it last season, and there will be more outside of Mensah who will do it this season. Brendan Sorsby and Sam Leavitt could leave for the NFL, and be selected in the first two days. 

So could Ty Simpson and John Mateer and Nico Iamaleava. They’ll all make more — per season — in college football with private NIL deals. And that’s just at the quarterback position.

It’s a bear market for the elite of college football, and nothing is stopping it. Not contrived NCAA guidelines with no teeth, and not some document with no legal standing.

And no longer, as crazy as it sounds, the big, bad NFL.